Grammy Family Week | Best Rap Song & Best Rock Song
The Grammys are in less than a week. GeniusTalk loves music. GeniusTalk loves making predictions. GeniusTalk loves saying ridiculous things on the internet. We’re going to do all three this week during Grammy Family Week.
Monday through Thursday, each of us will review a category we know well and a category we know nothing about. Friday, we’ll give our Grammy picks for Record of the Year. Got it? Good. Let’s go.
Predicted winners in bold.
BEST RAP SONG
All The Way Up — Fat Joe & Remy Ma
(featuring French Montana & Infrared)
I live in New York City, so yes, your assumption is correct. Guys and girls who rock Yankee fitteds and wear Timbs in the summertime fucking love this song. I mean it’s kind of a catchy club song I guess, but I never got the mass appeal of it. Maybe it’s because I’m a broke boy. This is the perfect song to play when you’re in VIP with models overlooking the club with $1000 bottles in hand — aka nothing I’ve ever experienced. I’m also salty on this song because French Montana was hella cozy with Sanaa Lathan. I felt like Diddy was laughing directly at me in that video. I’m waaaay better looking than French right? Wait til I get my money right.
Hotline Bling — Drake
Song is, was, and will forever be a banger. Last summer, at the height of his powers, this song started to play at my job’s rooftop party (#humblebrag). Sun was beaming and I was hitting my dance. THEN one of my good coworker friends said he had never heard this song. I mentally hit him with the “cash me outside, how bout dat?” Couldn’t fuck with him no ‘mo. This is also probably the only music video I watched last year. Shouts to Drake man. He’s unapologetically mainstream, and even though he don’t write his own raps, he winning.
Famous — Kanye West
FOR ALL MY SOUTHSIDE NIGGAS THAT KNOW ME BEST. I FEEL LIKE ME AND TAYLOR MIGHT STILL HAVE SEX. WHY? I MADE THAT BITCH FAAAAMOUS. Do you think Taylor Swift drives by LA parties and can hear hundreds of people claiming they made her famous? That must suck. I’d feel more sympathy for her if she didn’t act fake outraged about it. This song is as Kanye West as a Kanye West song can get. Brazen lyrics that will offend some subset of people? Check. Rihanna on the hook to make the song more palatable for the masses? Check. Beat change and A+ sample use? Check.
No Problem — Chance the Rapper (featuring 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne)
I tend to use hyperbole often, but this song really is the best beat drop of all time. Only competitor is Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1. When Chance pressed play to this at the Made in America Festival last summer, I was sofa king hype! I was ready to catch anyone and everyone with the Stone Cold Stunner. I really felt like I made Waka Flocka proud. Chance floated on this like he floats on everything. I’ve never been to IKEA, but 2 Chainz said the inside of his Maybach looks like one so it must look like the home version of ‘Pimp My Ride’. Also — — I neeeeed Weezy on lean at the Grammys. Need it.
Ultralight Beam — Kanye West
(featuring The Dream, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & Chance the Rapper)
The first and only time I went to heaven was when I first heard this song. I hope to be back soon. (Miss you Jesus.) I’m the biggest Kanye stan there is, but this song is way more about his production skills than about anything he says. This song is church in audio form. You already know how I feel about the opening prayer. The Dream and Kelly Price floated like the angels they are. Like Muhammad Ali in his prime. Like a feather on a windy day. Chance leaped into the mainstream and gave us the verse of a lifetime. The OG Kirk Franklin even gave us a prophetic word. Words that no matter your race, religion or sexual orientation, resonate. Ultralight Beam really is a God dream.
BEST ROCK SONG
Heathens — Twenty One Pilots
What a coincidence — all my friends are heathens too! This is NOT what I envisioned when I selected ‘rock’. Track is hella smooth. Do your thing 21 21 21 21. Mike Posner must be very upset about this song. This melody is in his wheelhouse. Who is the lead singer of this group? I can tell off rip he bags all the pretty girls who cheat on their unsuspecting boyfriends. (All men are loyal, never forget that.) If all songs are gonna be this jiggy, this review will be enjoyable for me.
Hardwired — Metallica
Update: it’s no longer enjoyable for me. What the fuck is this shit bruv? Holy shit. So much anger. Is this the equivalent of what Chief Keef is to middle America? I get needing an outlet to get all that rage and anger out, but sheesh. I hope we’re not unknowingly creating future serial killers. Yeah, this is a no from me dawg.
Blackstar — David Bowie
RIP to the icon David Bowie. I understand and appreciate the impact he had on music, sexuality and pop culture. With that said — this song is trash b. I almost stopped myself from typing that, but I cannot tell a lie. It is what it is. If you’re out with your friends, and this comes on, what do you even do? You can’t sway. You can’t bob your head. You can’t even really sing the words. (Editor’s Note: I wrote this before the Kanye West-like beat switch halfway through. It gets waaaay better. Now I feel bad. Oh well.)
Burn the Witch — Radiohead
Let me start off by saying the devil is a liar. What type of demonic title is ‘Burn the Witch’? I’m going to church directly after I post this. Anyway, this song kinda came and went. Don’t have a visceral reaction to this song, but I won’t be telling my grandkids about it either — which disappointments me. I kinda fuck with ‘Creep’ and this isn’t even in the same zip code quality-wise. Is Radiohead washed now? Have they been washed? Do they even know what washed means? So many unanswered questions.
My Name is Human — Highly Suspect
This band’s name draws inspiration from Odell Beckham, but their talents are anything but suspect. This is a motherfucking banger. Exactly zero of my countless (aka eleven) Spotify friends have played this song — that is a problem. Do I know what this song is about? No. Does it take away from my enjoyment of it? Also no. If every rock song was of this quality, it would help destigmatize this genre for idiots like me. Well done boys. Well done.
Tomorrow, Maegan reviews the Grammy nominees for best R&B song and best country song.
